After reaching the World Collection in 2024, the Yankees had been unable to come back away with their first title in 15 years, dropping in 5 video games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Juan Soto getting into free company, stars comparable to Gerrit Cole and Aaron Choose getting into their mid-30s, and far of their already questionable bullpen departing in free company, it could’ve been cheap to think about the Yankees’ championship window closed.
With Soto departing for the Mets previous to the Winter Conferences, this sentiment was all however reassured—till Brian Cashman and the Yankees made it clear they weren’t giving up but. The Yankees then reached an settlement with star pitcher Max Fried only a day later.
The Yankees saved their foot on the fuel for the subsequent few weeks, buying and selling for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger, however have since (principally) cooled off. The Yankees are actually a vastly totally different workforce, and nonetheless have inquiries to be answered about how they may compete with out Juan Soto, former nearer Clay Holmes, and far more.
To check these two groups, I will probably be reviewing their gamers misplaced and added – gamers retained on new offers comparable to Jonathan Loáisiga may even be famous. All projections will probably be discovered by way of Steamer’s 2025 projections on Fangraphs.
Gamers Misplaced
Juan Soto – 2024 – 7.9 bWAR, 8.1 fWAR | 2025 – projected 6.5 fWAR
Shedding Soto to the Mets on a document contract with a possible worth of over $800 million was not how the Yankees needed their offseason to start. Nonetheless, by not signing Soto to the largest contract in MLB historical past, the Yankees opened about $50 million in spending on their 2025 payroll, which they rapidly allotted elsewhere.
Whereas no workforce could be higher with out Juan Soto’s generational offensive expertise, the Yankees have the prospect to take the cash they had been keen to supply Soto and put money into the workforce elsewhere, softening the blow and fixing different issues that had been definitely current in 2024.
Gleyber Torres – 2024 – 1.8 bWAR, 1.7 fWAR | 2025 – projected 3.0 fWAR
Torres has been the Yankees beginning second baseman for half a decade now, and after turning into their leadoff hitter in 2025, Torres departing on a 1-year, $15 million take care of the Tigers leaves a number of holes within the Yankees’ workforce development.
Nestor Cortes – 2024 – 2.6 bWAR, 3.1 fWAR | 2025 – projected 1.9 fWAR
After being traded to the Brewers alongside Caleb Durbin for Devin Williams, the Yankees misplaced a priceless member of their rotation from the previous few years.
Nonetheless, Cortes was projected because the Yankees’ SP5 or SP6 in 2025 after signing Max Fried and can get a constant beginning alternative on a aggressive Brewers workforce.
Anthony Rizzo – 2024 – 0.2 bWAR, -0.2 fWAR | 2025 – projected 0.4 fWAR
Alex Verdugo – 2024 – 0.8 bWAR, 0.6 fWAR | 2025 – projected 1.2 fWAR
Jon Berti – 2024 – 0.6 bWAR, 0.3 fWAR | 2025 – projected 0.0 fWAR
Bullpen – Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Tim Hill, Cody Poteet, Tim Mayza
With Clay Holmes changing to a starter, these former Yankees bullpen arms are all prone to see huge adjustments in 2025, though there’s nonetheless a very good likelihood a couple of of those gamers return.
Hill and Kahnle specifically have been linked to the Yankees a number of occasions this offseason, and would doubtless be useful additions to a threatening however dangerous 2025 bullpen.
Catching Depth – Jose Trevino, Carlos Narváez – 2024 – 0.6 bWAR, 1.6 fWAR | 2025 – projected 2.2 fWAR
Whereas Austin Wells is poised to take over the beginning catcher position for the Yankees after a 115-game rookie season in 2024, dropping an especially priceless defensive catcher in Trevino is a troublesome tablet to swallow.
Nonetheless, the Yankees imagine in Wells to take one other step ahead in 2025, and newly acquired Alex Jackson might see some priceless innings as effectively.
Gamers Added
Max Fried – 2024 – 3.5 bWAR, 3.4 fWAR | 2025 – projected 3.3 fWAR
Fried, top-of-the-line pitchers in baseball over the past half-decade, signed an enormous contract with the Yankees shortly after Juan Soto’s take care of the Mets was introduced. Because the Yankees struggled to ascertain a real #2 starter all through 2024, Fried’s signing provides a dominant arm to top-of-the-line pitching staffs in MLB.
Cody Bellinger – 2024 – 2.2 bWAR, 2.2 fWAR | 2025 – projected 2.7 fWAR
Traded for Cody Poteet, Bellinger is probably going the Yankees beginning middle or left fielder in 2025. Together with his above-average protection and baserunning, Bellinger’s flooring is excessive regardless of his dangerous bat and costly contract.
Paul Goldschmidt – 2024 – 1.3 bWAR, 1.1 fWAR | 2025 – projected 1.9 fWAR
Now 37, Goldschmidt is a stable participant with a bizarre 2024 season, now trying to present stability at first base for the Yankees after the place was a serious query mark in 2024.
Bullpen – Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz
As talked about earlier, the Yankees bullpen will probably be vastly totally different from 2024 within the 2025 season. Including an elite nearer in Williams and a swing-and-miss arm in Cruz fills two holes that had been huge issues in 2024.
Whereas Luke Weaver stepped in at nearer for the postseason, the place he delivered probably the most dominant postseasons by a Yankees reliever since Mariano Rivera, he’s doubtless finest match for a high-leverage lengthy aid position in 2025.
Different inner candidates with promise for roles within the Yankees’ bullpen embody Clayton Beeter and Yoendrys Gómez, with newly resigned Jonathan Loáisiga poised for a rebound season after lacking nearly all of 2024.
Catching Depth – Alex Jackson – 2024 – -0.4 bWAR, -0.1 fWAR | 2025 – projected 0.7 fWAR
Jackson had a tough 2024 within the majors, posting a minuscule 26 OPS+ with above-average framing metrics. Whereas his MiLB numbers are promising, there’s an opportunity the Yankees look elsewhere for a backup catcher.
Totals
By web WAR, it’s clear the Yankees didn’t get higher by way of free company this offseason – dropping priceless gamers like Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, and Clay Holmes will try this, however I imagine this distinction stems from two key locations: second base and catching depth.
Whereas Torres caught a lot of criticism over his time with the Yankees, he was nearly at all times a priceless participant – after a stoop to start 2024, he had a .780 OPS within the second half whereas primarily batting leadoff, which he continued to do all through the 2024 playoffs. With out an exterior addition, second base (or third base, if Jazz Chisholm Jr. strikes again to second) will probably be an enormous legal responsibility in 2025.
As well as, catching depth was a serious energy of the Yankees in recent times, and dropping Trevino severely hurts this. Whereas his hitting has at all times been shaky, the Platinum Glove winner is an ideal backup for a younger catcher like Austin Wells, and the Yankees should get the most effective out of gamers like Alex Jackson to duplicate a few of Trevino’s worth.
The Yankees are removed from a whole workforce and nonetheless have work to be performed to make a return to the World Collection in 2025. Nonetheless, I imagine the Yankees are in a great spot.
Whereas they’ve misplaced a couple of key gamers in free company, they’ve made good trades and may look to blossoming stars comparable to Jasson Domínguez and Ben Rice to offer worth at a lesser value. New arms comparable to Max Fried and Devin Williams add energy to an already spectacular pitching workers, and some extra strikes might put the Yankees proper again into championship rivalry.
